community of practice essay

Communities of practice Essay

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Practice-based networks

Challenges organizations may face when participating in social networks, reference list.

Communities of practice involve informal groups of workers who share common work-related activities. Communities of practice and practice-based perspectives or networks closely relate to each other in knowledge management (KM). This is because knowledge workers have embedded and inseparable cultures in the activities they carry out. Communities of practice are informal arrangements among workers that emerge from social interactions and works that people do (Brelade and Harman, 2003).

Communities of practice use literature from practice-based networks on KM. In this regard, scholars see knowledge base of organisations as ‘community-of-communities’. In other words, organisation’s knowledge base is diverse and exists in individual workers or specific communities. Organisations knowledge base is interdependent and overlapping. However, there is a common knowledge that is local and special in nature with no relevance use beyond the context of its application within an organisation.

Workers and structures of organisations vary considerably. Therefore, knowledge distribution in an organisation shows the social division of labour. Consequently, work patterns and activities in an organisation have impacts on the character of the organisational knowledge base (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2003).

Communities of practice have some disadvantages. Communities of practice create many ways in which an organisation may exploit its knowledge base. As much as communities of practice may promote knowledge sharing, they also have capabilities of limiting knowledge sharing.

The social networks that exist among workers in communities of practice may be under the influence of power and conflict within the community. At the same time, communities may decide to keep their individual knowledge. This will affect learning, innovation and intercommunity interactions.

Practice-based networks look at knowledge as embedded within and inseparable communities of practice. The fundamental concern of practice-based networks is knowledge sharing and knowledge management processes within an organisation.

Practice-based networks emphasise that an organisation can gather knowledge into a central place in order to understand its workers. However, this is difficult since there are some forms of knowledge that organisations cannot store. In other words, knowledge base of an organisation exists in individuals, and any attempt to collect it may yield limited results.

Another perspective of practice-based networks looked at knowledge as culturally and socially embedded in knowledge workers. Therefore, any attempt to understand knowledge gaining, sharing and utilisation must consider both social and cultural aspects of knowledge. Hislop notes that knowledge is not completely unbiased and neutral and may be inseparable from the values of knowledge workers (Hislop, 2005).

Some subjective theoretical aspects undermine the objective nature of knowledge, whether tacit, explicit and codified. We must note that socially and culturally developed knowledge affects both its development and interpretation. Therefore, development and interpretation of knowledge require an active role in its interpretation in order to get a meaning from it. The notion of practice-based networks has deep implications in ways organisations gain, share and manage its knowledge base (Roger, 1987).

Knowledge sharing in a social network is among the few resources that have returns to scale i.e. the more people share it, the more it grows. We must look at knowledge capturing in its broad sense, which essentially involves the process of sharing.

The practice concerns transferring, learning and sharing best practices between projects. Organisations should put much emphasis on knowledge sharing without emphasis to the barriers and problems organisations experience in their attempt to share knowledge.

Knowledge sharing entails learning because learning is a part of acquiring knowledge. However, organisations’ KM initiatives have been rotating around the sources of knowledge, capture and codification with attempts to join these with the potential beneficiaries. Organisations assume that learning process is not problematic.

They use sources such as knowledge directories and intranets to enable people search for information, then look for other experts in that field. Organisations have recognised that effective knowledge sharing lies with the natural, human processes and preferences for communication. This is because knowledge sharing is about people and not technology.

The first thing people normally do when looking for information is to ask a workmate. Therefore, knowledge sharing initiatives should embrace natural, human processes in social networks.

Organisations are introducing incentives for knowledge sharing. For instance, Lotus Development gives 25 per cent of its overall performance evaluation point among its customer service team for knowledge sharing.

Some organisations such as the UK Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) use financial incentives as bonuses and rewards to persuade staffs who do not post information on the knowledge sharing system. In this context, companies must work hard to improve a culture of support, fairness, trust and reciprocity required so as to embrace knowledge sharing. Most organisations seek to identify and embed best practices in knowledge sharing.

There were evidences that most management teams rarely used the computer-based information to make crucial decisions. This was because IT systems were not capturing information they needed. Managers preferred face-to-face or telephone talks and got other parts of information from outside documents.

Most companies have been using IT systems to share knowledge. However, most forms of human knowledge cannot be coded. This information remains inaccessible to IT systems (Tidd, 2006).

The fact that knowledge is available does not mean people are sharing it. Social network systems have enormous potential to support communication and exchange of information, and there is vast information available on the internet.

However, organisations, which have adopted the use of social networks to drive their KM initiatives, must align it with their strategies and other factors. Social network initiatives require the enthusiastic co-operation and input of all staff within a culture of support. Culture of secrecy, internal competition and lack of trust must change so as to drive learning and innovation initiatives.

Significant lessons for any organisation adopting KM initiatives using technology are the supportive role of IT in driving practices. IT systems can only deal with knowledge only if it can be coded and represented in the systems (Davenport and Prusack, 1997). However, tacit, experiential knowledge is not part of codified knowledge.

Occasionally, social, cultural, structural barriers and process issues hinder the developments and contributions of IT to any practice initiative.

Effective use of social network systems to better manage knowledge in an organisation should focus on connectivity i.e. providing communications channels that connect human together instead of capturing and representing human knowledge. In addition, organisations must also create an environment where co-workers feel free to share ideas, opinions and knowledge.

KM starting point recognises where organisations can derive immediate value. This serves to win the core business cases of the firm. Organisation’s practice in a knowledge economy stresses the point to embrace new ways of working enhanced by the internet. Learning and innovation create an enabling environment whereby organisations have realised improved service delivery, reduced time of generating new products and improved productivity of the use of a large number of collaborative work force (Drucker, 1994).

Collaboration in a knowledge economy is cutting across the organisation’s boundaries in including the partners, suppliers, and even consumers. A knowledge-driven economy values the recruitment and retention of the knowledge workers (Jennex, 2009). Talent search is now beyond salary packages.

It has shifted to alignment of the individual’s values, abilities, interests to produce meaningful work and accommodate the lifestyle choice of the individual knowledge worker.

It is necessary to note that the role and position of knowledge worker is becoming crucial and even challenging the role of managers. The role of management is changing to supporting and facilitating the works of staff rather than regulating their conducts (Storey, 1993).

Organisation’s learning and innovation cannot possibly happen in an environment which lacks a supportive and flexible organisational structure. Creativity, innovation and application of knowledge cannot thrive in highly regulated environment. This is because these ingredients to KM require trust and collaboration. Organisations which lack of trust, recognition, and collaboration drag down the steps to KM initiatives.

It is vital to note that learning and innovation are not linear subjects. Knowledge itself is difficult to define. Therefore, effective learning and innovation should be flexible enough to accommodate all forms of knowledge a knowledge worker possesses. The question of information sharing and breaking down the barriers created by organisational politics is also a vital lesson for companies planning to embrace KM in its operations (Tiwana, 1999).

Brelade, S. and Harman, C., 2003. A Practical Guide to Knowledge Management. London: Thorogood.

Davenport, T. and Prusack, L., 1997. Working Knowledge – How organisations manage what they know. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School.

Drucker, P., 1994. Innovation and Entrepreneurship. London: Butterworth Heinemann.

Hislop, D., 2005. knowledge management in organizations: A critical introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press Inc.

Jennex, M., 2009. Knowledge Management, Organizational Memory, and Transfer Behavior: Global Approaches and Advancements. London: Information Science Reference.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)., 2003. Measuring Knowledge Management in the Business Sector: First Steps. Paris: OECD Publications Service.

Roger, H., 1987. Organisational Culture and Quality of Service. London: AMED Publishing.

Storey, J., 1993. New perspectives on Human Resource Management. New York: Routledge.

Tidd, J., 2006. From Knowledge Management to Strategic Competence: Measuring Technological, Market and Organisational Innovation. London: Imperial College Press.

Tiwana, A., 1999. The Knowledge Management Toolkit. New York: Prentice Hall.

• “Growth and Innovation” by Canadian Business Network
• HR Management History and Present Days
• Trends in Embedded Systems
• Embedded Intelligence: Evolution and Future
• Complex Adaptive System Approach: KM Model
• Trends Paper on Human Resource Management
• The five competitive forces of Michael Porter
• How any two functions of management can Assist an organization manage workforce diversity
• What you can and cannot ask on an employment application or in an Interview
• Organizational Change, Diagnosis and Redesign
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2019, March 29). Communities of practice. https://ivypanda.com/essays/communities-of-practice/

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Introduction to communities of practice

A brief overview of the concept and its uses.

Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner

Table of contents

A community of practice story, what are communities of practice, what do communities of practice look like, where does the concept come from, where is the concept being applied, myths about communities of practice, further reading.

A group of internal auditors in the public sector from different countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia were having their 34th official meeting. For seven years now they had been coming together to hear how others in the region were engaged in internal audit and to create manuals and other publications that they felt were missing from their profession. Only a few of the original members were still part of the group, but the shared work, stories, and artifacts created over time gave their meetings a sense of continuity and purpose. If you were a fly-on-the wall at one of their events you would notice how new members were warmly welcomed into “the family”, how many people stepped up to take initiative or share their war stories, and how ambitious core members were to advance the practice of internal audit in the public sector in the region. Evening events, organized by the host country, were always lively – with singing, dancing and a hymn composed and sung by members.

– The PEMPAL Internal Auditors community of practice

The term “community of practice” is of relatively recent coinage, even though the phenomenon it refers to is age-old. The concept has turned out to provide a useful perspective on knowing and learning. A growing number of people and organizations in various sectors are now focusing on communities of practice as a key to improving their performance.

This brief and general introduction examines what communities of practice are and why researchers and practitioners in so many different contexts find them useful as an approach to knowing and learning.

Communities of practice are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor: a tribe learning to survive, a band of artists seeking new forms of expression, a group of engineers working on similar problems, a clique of pupils defining their identity in the school, a network of surgeons exploring novel techniques, a gathering of first-time managers helping each other cope. In a nutshell:

Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.

Note that this definition allows for, but does not assume, intentionality: learning can be the reason the community comes together or an incidental outcome of member’s interactions. Not everything called a community is a community of practice. A neighborhood for instance, is often called a community, but is usually not a community of practice. Three characteristics are crucial:

The domain.  A community of practice is not merely a club of friends or a network of connections between people. It has an identity defined by a shared domain of interest. Membership therefore implies a commitment to the domain, and therefore a shared competence that distinguishes members from other people. (You could belong to the same network as someone and never know it.) The domain is not necessarily something recognized as “expertise” outside the community. A youth gang may have developed all sorts of ways of dealing with their domain: surviving on the street and maintaining some kind of identity they can live with. They value their collective competence and learn from each other, even though few people outside the group may value or even recognize their expertise.

The community.  In pursuing their interest in their domain, members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information. They build relationships that enable them to learn from each other; they care about their standing with each other. A website in itself is not a community of practice. Having the same job or the same title does not make for a community of practice unless members interact and learn together. The claims processors in a large insurance company or students in American high schools may have much in common, yet unless they interact and learn together, they do not form a community of practice. But members of a community of practice do not necessarily work together on a daily basis. The Impressionists, for instance, used to meet in cafes and studios to discuss the style of painting they were inventing together. These interactions were essential to making them a community of practice even though they often painted alone.

The practice.  A community of practice is not merely a community of interest–people who like certain kinds of movies, for instance. Members of a community of practice are practitioners. They develop a shared repertoire of resources: experiences, stories, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems—in short a shared practice. This takes time and sustained interaction. A good conversation with a stranger on an airplane may give you all sorts of interesting insights, but it does not in itself make for a community of practice. The development of a shared practice may be more or less self-conscious. The “windshield wipers” engineers at an auto manufacturer make a concerted effort to collect and document the tricks and lessons they have learned into a knowledge base. By contrast, nurses who meet regularly for lunch in a hospital cafeteria may not realize that their lunch discussions are one of their main sources of knowledge about how to care for patients. Still, in the course of all these conversations, they have developed a set of stories and cases that have become a shared repertoire for their practice.

It is the combination of these three elements that constitutes a community of practice. And it is by developing these three elements in parallel that one cultivates such a community.

Communities develop their practice through a variety of activities. The following table provides a few typical examples:

Problem solving

“Can we work on this design and brainstorm some ideas; I’m stuck.”

Request for information

“Where can I find the code to connect to the server?”

Seeking experience

“Has anyone dealt with a customer in this situation?”

Reusing assets

“I have a proposal for a local area network I wrote for a client last year. I can send it to you and you can easily tweak it for this new client.”

Coordination and synergy

“Can we combine our purchases of solvent to achieve bulk discounts?”

Building an argument

“How do people in other countries do this? Armed with this information it will be easier to convince my Ministry to make some changes.”

Growing confidence

“Before I do it, I’ll run it through my community first to see what they think.”

Discussing new developments

“What do you think of the new CAD system? Does it really help?”

Documenting projects

“We have faced this problem five times now. Let us write it down once and for all.”

“Can we come and see your after-school program? We need to establish one in our city.”

Identifying gaps in competence

“Who knows what, and what are we missing? What other groups should we connect with?”

Communities of practice are not called that in all organizations. They are known under various names, such as learning networks, thematic groups, or tech clubs.

While they all have the three elements of a domain, a community, and a practice, they come in a variety of forms. Some are quite small; some are very large, often with a core group and many peripheral members. Some are local and some cover the globe. Some meet mainly face-to-face, some mostly online. Some are within an organization and some include members from various organizations. Some are formally recognized, often supported with a budget; and some are completely informal and even invisible.

Communities of practice have been around for as long as human beings have learned together. At home, at work, at school, in our hobbies, we all belong to communities of practice, a number of them usually. In some we are core members. In many we are merely peripheral. And we travel through numerous communities over the course of our lives.

In fact, communities of practice are everywhere. They are a familiar experience, so familiar perhaps that it often escapes our attention. Yet when it is given a name and brought into focus, it becomes a perspective that can help us understand our world better. In particular, it allows us to see past more obvious formal structures such as organizations, classrooms, or nations, and perceive the structures defined by engagement in practice and the informal learning that comes with it.

Social scientists have used versions of the concept of community of practice for a variety of analytical purposes, but the origin and primary use of the concept has been in learning theory. Anthropologist Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger coined the term while studying apprenticeship as a learning model. People usually think of apprenticeship as a relationship between a student and a master, but studies of apprenticeship reveal a more complex set of social relationships through which learning takes place mostly with journeymen and more advanced apprentices. The term community of practice was coined to refer to the community that acts as a living curriculum for the apprentice. Once the concept was articulated, we started to see these communities everywhere, even when no formal apprenticeship system existed. And of course, learning in a community of practice is not limited to novices. The practice of a community is dynamic and involves learning on the part of everyone.

The concept of community of practice has found a number of practical applications in business, organizational design, government, education, professional associations, development projects, and civic life.

Organizations. The concept has been adopted most readily by people in business because of the recognition that knowledge is a critical asset that needs to be managed strategically. Initial efforts at managing knowledge had focused on information systems with disappointing results. Communities of practice provided a new approach, which focused on people and on the social structures that enable them to learn with and from each other. Today, there is hardly any organization of a reasonable size that does not have some form communities-of-practice initiative. A number of characteristics explain this rush of interest in communities of practice as a vehicle for developing strategic capabilities in organizations:

• Communities of practice enable practitioners to take collective responsibility for managing the knowledge they need, recognizing that, given the proper structure, they are in the best position to do this.
• Communities among practitioners create a direct link between learning and performance, because the same people participate in communities of practice and in teams and business units.
• Practitioners can address the tacit and dynamic aspects of knowledge creation and sharing, as well as the more explicit aspects.
• Communities are not limited by formal structures: they create connections among people across organizational and geographic boundaries.

From this perspective, the knowledge of an organization lives in a constellation of communities of practice each taking care of a specific aspect of the competence that the organization needs. However, the very characteristics that make communities of practice a good fit for stewarding knowledge—autonomy, practitioner-orientation, informality, crossing boundaries—are also characteristics that make them a challenge for traditional hierarchical organizations. How this challenge is going to affect these organizations remains to be seen.

Government.  Like businesses, government organizations face knowledge challenges of increasing complexity and scale. They have adopted communities of practice for much the same reasons, though the formality of the bureaucracy can come in the way of open knowledge sharing. Beyond internal communities, there are typical government problems such as education, health, and security that require coordination and knowledge sharing across levels of government. There also, communities of practice hold the promise of enabling connections among people across formal structures. And there also, there are substantial organizational issues to overcome.

Education.  Schools and districts are organizations in their own right, and they too face increasing knowledge challenges. The first applications of communities of practice have been in teacher training and in providing isolated administrators with access to colleagues. There is a wave of interest in these peer-to-peer professional-development activities. But in the education sector, learning is not only a means to an end: it is the end product. The perspective of communities of practice is therefore also relevant at this level. In business, focusing on communities of practice adds a layer of complexity to the organization, but it does not fundamentally change what the business is about. In schools, changing the learning theory is a much deeper transformation. This will inevitably take longer. The perspective of communities of practice affects educational practices along three dimensions:

• Internally.  How to organize educational experiences that ground school learning in practice through participation in communities around subject matters?
• Externally.  How to connect the experience of students to actual practice through peripheral forms of participation in broader communities beyond the walls of the school?
• Over the lifetime of students.  How to serve the lifelong learning needs of students by organizing communities of practice focused on topics of continuing interest to students beyond the initial schooling period?

From this perspective, the school is not the privileged locus of learning. It is not a self-contained, closed world in which students acquire knowledge to be applied outside, but a part of a broader learning system. The class is not the primary learning event. It is life itself that is the main learning event. Schools, classrooms, and training sessions still have a role to play in this vision, but they have to be in the service of the learning that happens in the world.

Associations.  A growing number of associations, professional and otherwise, are seeking ways to focus on learning through reflection on practice. Their members are restless and their allegiance is fragile. They need to offer high-value learning activities. The peer-to-peer learning activities typical of communities of practice offer a complementary alternative to more traditional course offerings and publications.

Social sector.  In the civic domain, there is an emergent interest in building communities among practitioners. In the non-profit world, for instance, foundations are recognizing that philanthropy needs to focus on learning systems in order to fully leverage funded projects. But practitioners are seeking peer-to-peer connections and learning opportunities with or without the support of institutions. This includes regional economic development, with intra-regional communities on various domains, as well as inter-regional learning with communities gathering practitioners from various regions.

International development.  There is increasing recognition that the challenge of developing nations is as much a knowledge as a financial challenge. A number of people believe that a communities-of-practice approach can provide a new paradigm for development work. It emphasizes knowledge building among practitioners. Some development agencies now see their role as conveners of such communities, rather than as providers of knowledge.

The web. New technologies such as the Internet have extended the reach of our interactions beyond the geographical limitations of traditional communities, but the increase in flow of information does not obviate the need for community. In fact, it expands the possibilities for community and calls for new kinds of communities based on shared practice.

The concept of community of practice is influencing theory and practice in many domains. From humble beginnings in apprenticeship studies, the concept was grabbed by businesses interested in knowledge management and has progressively found its way into other sectors. It has now become the foundation of a perspective on knowing and learning that informs efforts to create learning systems in various sectors and at various levels of scale, from local communities, to single organizations, partnerships, cities, regions, and the entire world.

The diversity of types of communities across different sectors has shown that there is no one-recipe-fits-all, despite some of the claims that are made about them. Here are some of the assertions or “myths” that have won some acclaim, in part due to the interpretation of early theoretical writing about them.

Communities of practice are always self-organizing

False. Some communities do self-organize and are very effective. But most communities need some cultivation to be sure that members get high value for their time.

There are no leaders in a true community of practice

Mostly false. In many communities of practice decisions need to be taken, conditions need to be put in place, strategic conversations need to be had. Not all members see value in being involved in these processes. Whether you call them leaders, co-ordinators, or stewards, someone needs to do it – and it is as well to recognize them for the role they play.

True communities of practice are informal

False. There are many informal communities of practice. And there are many formal ones too. The more intentionally they are used for developing the strategic capability of an organization or a cause, the more likely they are to have to go through some formal process to be recognized as such.

The role of a community of practice is to share existing knowledge

Partially true. The experience people have to share is clearly important. But communities of practice also innovate and solve problems. They invent new practices, create new knowledge, define new territory, and develop a collective and strategic voice.

It is too difficult to measure the impact of communities of practice

Mostly false. It may be difficult to attribute with 100% certainty the activities of a community of practice to a particular outcome. You can, however, build a good case using quantitative and qualitative data to measure different types of value created by the community and trace how members are changing their practice and improving performance as a result.

Good facilitation is all it takes to get members to participate

False. Artful faciliation is very important. But there are many other reasons why people may not participate. The domain must be relevant and a priority to members. The value of participation usually needs to be recognized by the organization otherwise members will not bother. Members need to see results of their participation and have a sense that they are getting something out of it. Good facilitation can help to make this visible, but is not the main reason why people participate.

Communities of practice are harmonious places

Maybe. But if they are totally conflict free, you should be concerned that groupthink may be settling in or voices are being silenced. More important, and usually quite difficult to achieve, is that differences are discussable and that they contribute to the learning.

There is a technology that is best for communities of practice

False. There may be, but we haven’t found it yet. The online universe is cluttered with spaces that nobody uses. It’s also full of sites that are called a community of practice even if no one is there! A tool or technology is as good as it is useful to the people who use it. And a forum is simply a forum until it becomes occupied by a community of practice.

Communities of practice are the solution to everything!

False. Communities of practice don’t substitute teams or networks or other joint enterprises. Each has its own place in the overall ecology of the learning system. In recent developments of the theory, we talk about landscapes of practice, and of creating different types of social learning spaces that open up new opportunities for developing learning capability.

For the application of a community-based approach to learning in organizations

• Communities of practice in and across organizations: a guidebook.  By Etienne Wenger-Trayner, Beverly Wenger-Trayner, Phil Reid, and Claude Bruderlein. Social Learning Lab, 2022.
• Cultivating communities of practice: a guide to managing knowledge.  By Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William Snyder, Harvard Business School Press, 2002.
• Communities of practice: the organizational frontier. By Etienne Wenger and William Snyder. Harvard Business Review. January-February 2000, pp. 139-145.

For in-depth coverage of social learning theory

• Learning to make a difference: value-creation in social learning spaces . By Etienne Wenger-Trayner and Beverly Wenger-Trayner, Cambridge University Press, 2020.
• Learning in landscapes of practice. By Etienne Wenger-Trayner, Mark Fenton O’Creevy, Steven Hutchinson, Chris Kubiak, Beverly Wenger-Trayner, Routledge, 2014
• Communities of practice: learning, meaning, and identity.  By Etienne Wenger, Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Other useful resources on our website

• Our reflections on communities of practice and how they contribute to  social learning capability
• Frequently asked questions about communities of practice and social learning
• Leadership groups: a practice for fostering leadership in social learning contexts
• PDF English
• PDF Spanish

Wenger-Trayner, E. and Wenger-Trayner, B. (2015)  An introduction to communities of practice: a brief overview of the concept and its uses . Available from authors at  https://www.wenger-trayner.com/ introduction-to-communities- of-practice .

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How to Write the Community Essay – Guide with Examples (2023-24)

September 6, 2023

Students applying to college this year will inevitably confront the community essay. In fact, most students will end up responding to several community essay prompts for different schools. For this reason, you should know more than simply how to approach the community essay as a genre. Rather, you will want to learn how to decipher the nuances of each particular prompt, in order to adapt your response appropriately. In this article, we’ll show you how to do just that, through several community essay examples. These examples will also demonstrate how to avoid cliché and make the community essay authentically and convincingly your own.

Emphasis on Community

Do keep in mind that inherent in the word “community” is the idea of multiple people. The personal statement already provides you with a chance to tell the college admissions committee about yourself as an individual. The community essay, however, suggests that you depict yourself among others. You can use this opportunity to your advantage by showing off interpersonal skills, for example. Or, perhaps you wish to relate a moment that forged important relationships. This in turn will indicate what kind of connections you’ll make in the classroom with college peers and professors.

Apart from comprising numerous people, a community can appear in many shapes and sizes. It could be as small as a volleyball team, or as large as a diaspora. It could fill a town soup kitchen, or spread across five boroughs. In fact, due to the internet, certain communities today don’t even require a physical place to congregate. Communities can form around a shared identity, shared place, shared hobby, shared ideology, or shared call to action. They can even arise due to a shared yet unforeseen circumstance.

What is the Community Essay All About?             

In a nutshell, the community essay should exhibit three things:

• An aspect of yourself, 2. in the context of a community you belonged to, and 3. how this experience may shape your contribution to the community you’ll join in college.

It may look like a fairly simple equation: 1 + 2 = 3. However, each college will word their community essay prompt differently, so it’s important to look out for additional variables. One college may use the community essay as a way to glimpse your core values. Another may use the essay to understand how you would add to diversity on campus. Some may let you decide in which direction to take it—and there are many ways to go!

To get a better idea of how the prompts differ, let’s take a look at some real community essay prompts from the current admission cycle.

Sample 2023-2024 Community Essay Prompts

1) brown university.

“Students entering Brown often find that making their home on College Hill naturally invites reflection on where they came from. Share how an aspect of your growing up has inspired or challenged you, and what unique contributions this might allow you to make to the Brown community. (200-250 words)”

A close reading of this prompt shows that Brown puts particular emphasis on place. They do this by using the words “home,” “College Hill,” and “where they came from.” Thus, Brown invites writers to think about community through the prism of place. They also emphasize the idea of personal growth or change, through the words “inspired or challenged you.” Therefore, Brown wishes to see how the place you grew up in has affected you. And, they want to know how you in turn will affect their college community.

“NYU was founded on the belief that a student’s identity should not dictate the ability for them to access higher education. That sense of opportunity for all students, of all backgrounds, remains a part of who we are today and a critical part of what makes us a world-class university. Our community embraces diversity, in all its forms, as a cornerstone of the NYU experience.

We would like to better understand how your experiences would help us to shape and grow our diverse community. Please respond in 250 words or less.”

Here, NYU places an emphasis on students’ “identity,” “backgrounds,” and “diversity,” rather than any physical place. (For some students, place may be tied up in those ideas.) Furthermore, while NYU doesn’t ask specifically how identity has changed the essay writer, they do ask about your “experience.” Take this to mean that you can still recount a specific moment, or several moments, that work to portray your particular background. You should also try to link your story with NYU’s values of inclusivity and opportunity.

3) University of Washington

“Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. (300 words max) Tip: Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints.”

UW ’s community essay prompt may look the most approachable, for they help define the idea of community. You’ll notice that most of their examples (“families,” “cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood”…) place an emphasis on people. This may clue you in on their desire to see the relationships you’ve made. At the same time, UW uses the words “individual” and “richly diverse.” They, like NYU, wish to see how you fit in and stand out, in order to boost campus diversity.

Writing Your First Community Essay

Begin by picking which community essay you’ll write first. (For practical reasons, you’ll probably want to go with whichever one is due earliest.) Spend time doing a close reading of the prompt, as we’ve done above. Underline key words. Try to interpret exactly what the prompt is asking through these keywords.

Next, brainstorm. I recommend doing this on a blank piece of paper with a pencil. Across the top, make a row of headings. These might be the communities you’re a part of, or the components that make up your identity. Then, jot down descriptive words underneath in each column—whatever comes to you. These words may invoke people and experiences you had with them, feelings, moments of growth, lessons learned, values developed, etc. Now, narrow in on the idea that offers the richest material and that corresponds fully with the prompt.

Lastly, write! You’ll definitely want to describe real moments, in vivid detail. This will keep your essay original, and help you avoid cliché. However, you’ll need to summarize the experience and answer the prompt succinctly, so don’t stray too far into storytelling mode.

How To Adapt Your Community Essay

Once your first essay is complete, you’ll need to adapt it to the other colleges involving community essays on your list. Again, you’ll want to turn to the prompt for a close reading, and recognize what makes this prompt different from the last. For example, let’s say you’ve written your essay for UW about belonging to your swim team, and how the sports dynamics shaped you. Adapting that essay to Brown’s prompt could involve more of a focus on place. You may ask yourself, how was my swim team in Alaska different than the swim teams we competed against in other states?

Once you’ve adapted the content, you’ll also want to adapt the wording to mimic the prompt. For example, let’s say your UW essay states, “Thinking back to my years in the pool…” As you adapt this essay to Brown’s prompt, you may notice that Brown uses the word “reflection.” Therefore, you might change this sentence to “Reflecting back on my years in the pool…” While this change is minute, it cleverly signals to the reader that you’ve paid attention to the prompt, and are giving that school your full attention.

What to Avoid When Writing the Community Essay  

• Avoid cliché. Some students worry that their idea is cliché, or worse, that their background or identity is cliché. However, what makes an essay cliché is not the content, but the way the content is conveyed. This is where your voice and your descriptions become essential.
• Avoid giving too many examples. Stick to one community, and one or two anecdotes arising from that community that allow you to answer the prompt fully.
• Don’t exaggerate or twist facts. Sometimes students feel they must make themselves sound more “diverse” than they feel they are. Luckily, diversity is not a feeling. Likewise, diversity does not simply refer to one’s heritage. If the prompt is asking about your identity or background, you can show the originality of your experiences through your actions and your thinking.

Community Essay Examples and Analysis

Brown university community essay example.

I used to hate the NYC subway. I’ve taken it since I was six, going up and down Manhattan, to and from school. By high school, it was a daily nightmare. Spending so much time underground, underneath fluorescent lighting, squashed inside a rickety, rocking train car among strangers, some of whom wanted to talk about conspiracy theories, others who had bedbugs or B.O., or who manspread across two seats, or bickered—it wore me out. The challenge of going anywhere seemed absurd. I dreaded the claustrophobia and disgruntlement.

Yet the subway also inspired my understanding of community. I will never forget the morning I saw a man, several seats away, slide out of his seat and hit the floor. The thump shocked everyone to attention. What we noticed: he appeared drunk, possibly homeless. I was digesting this when a second man got up and, through a sort of awkward embrace, heaved the first man back into his seat. The rest of us had stuck to subway social codes: don’t step out of line. Yet this second man’s silent actions spoke loudly. They said, “I care.”

That day I realized I belong to a group of strangers. What holds us together is our transience, our vulnerabilities, and a willingness to assist. This community is not perfect but one in motion, a perpetual work-in-progress. Now I make it my aim to hold others up. I plan to contribute to the Brown community by helping fellow students and strangers in moments of precariousness.    

Brown University Community Essay Example Analysis

Here the student finds an original way to write about where they come from. The subway is not their home, yet it remains integral to ideas of belonging. The student shows how a community can be built between strangers, in their responsibility toward each other. The student succeeds at incorporating key words from the prompt (“challenge,” “inspired” “Brown community,” “contribute”) into their community essay.

UW Community Essay Example

I grew up in Hawaii, a world bound by water and rich in diversity. In school we learned that this sacred land was invaded, first by Captain Cook, then by missionaries, whalers, traders, plantation owners, and the U.S. government. My parents became part of this problematic takeover when they moved here in the 90s. The first community we knew was our church congregation. At the beginning of mass, we shook hands with our neighbors. We held hands again when we sang the Lord’s Prayer. I didn’t realize our church wasn’t “normal” until our diocese was informed that we had to stop dancing hula and singing Hawaiian hymns. The order came from the Pope himself.

Eventually, I lost faith in God and organized institutions. I thought the banning of hula—an ancient and pure form of expression—seemed medieval, ignorant, and unfair, given that the Hawaiian religion had already been stamped out. I felt a lack of community and a distrust for any place in which I might find one. As a postcolonial inhabitant, I could never belong to the Hawaiian culture, no matter how much I valued it. Then, I was shocked to learn that Queen Ka’ahumanu herself had eliminated the Kapu system, a strict code of conduct in which women were inferior to men. Next went the Hawaiian religion. Queen Ka’ahumanu burned all the temples before turning to Christianity, hoping this religion would offer better opportunities for her people.

Community Essay (Continued)

I’m not sure what to make of this history. Should I view Queen Ka’ahumanu as a feminist hero, or another failure in her islands’ tragedy? Nothing is black and white about her story, but she did what she thought was beneficial to her people, regardless of tradition. From her story, I’ve learned to accept complexity. I can disagree with institutionalized religion while still believing in my neighbors. I am a product of this place and their presence. At UW, I plan to add to campus diversity through my experience, knowing that diversity comes with contradictions and complications, all of which should be approached with an open and informed mind.

UW Community Essay Example Analysis

This student also manages to weave in words from the prompt (“family,” “community,” “world,” “product of it,” “add to the diversity,” etc.). Moreover, the student picks one of the examples of community mentioned in the prompt, (namely, a religious group,) and deepens their answer by addressing the complexity inherent in the community they’ve been involved in. While the student displays an inner turmoil about their identity and participation, they find a way to show how they’d contribute to an open-minded campus through their values and intellectual rigor.

What’s Next

For more on supplemental essays and essay writing guides, check out the following articles:

• How to Write the Why This Major Essay + Example
• How to Write the Overcoming Challenges Essay + Example
• How to Start a College Essay – 12 Techniques and Tips
• College Essay

Kaylen Baker

With a BA in Literary Studies from Middlebury College, an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University, and a Master’s in Translation from Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis, Kaylen has been working with students on their writing for over five years. Previously, Kaylen taught a fiction course for high school students as part of Columbia Artists/Teachers, and served as an English Language Assistant for the French National Department of Education. Kaylen is an experienced writer/translator whose work has been featured in Los Angeles Review, Hybrid, San Francisco Bay Guardian, France Today, and Honolulu Weekly, among others.

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6 community of practice examples (+ different types), share this article.

Want to create a virtual community of practice but you’re not sure where you start? Get inspired by this list of examples of different types.

As a creator, launching an online community of practice is an exciting step towards growth, learning, and collaboration. And if you’re doing it for the first time, you definitely need some successful examples to inspire you and show you what’s working and what’s not. 

In this article, we’ll highlight examples of successful communities of practice you can learn from. Here’s what we’ll cover: 

• Professional Community of Practice: PT Tool Box and Elpha 
• Non-professional Community of Practice: Digital Nomad World
• Knowledge Stewarding Community of Practice: Peak Freelance 
• Helping Community: Stack Overflow
• Best Practice Community: Superpath 
• Learning Community of Practice: Pracademics 

Types of Communities of Practice 

Communities of practice are categorized into six different types depending on their structure and primary goal. Sometimes, these types overlap, and a community might fit into two or more types at once. Thinkific, for example, is both a professional and a helping community of practice. 

1. Professional Community of Practice 

A professional community of practice consists of a group of people within a niche industry who want to support and learn from each other. Members typically have different levels of expertise and may work with different companies. Some of them might be newbies while others are veterans, but the most important thing is they have a shared industry interest and are keen on contributing to the overall body of knowledge. 

Professional community of practice example 1: PT ToolBox

Before launching his fitness training course via Thinkific , Josh Mullin had already tapped into the benefits of community building. His private Facebook community has more than 15,000 members and continues to be a place for conversation, learning, and collaboration for budding and experienced personal trainers in the UK. 

Professional community of practice example 2: Elpha

If you’re a woman in tech or looking to make the switch soon, you’ve probably heard of Elpha. Founded by Cadran Cowansage, Elpha has over 75,000 members, making it one of the largest online communities of practice for tech women. 

Elpha women get professional and personal development resources, participate in virtual chats and mentorship, and enjoy access to a safe and no-judgment space where they can share their challenges and receive advice and support from their peers. 

2. Non-professional Community of Practice 

Communities of practice aren’t just about providing professional support. Sometimes, you need a group of people who can help you improve other aspects of your life, like learning a new habit or changing your lifestyle. And this is where non-professional communities come in. There are non-professional communities of practice for almost anything, from ski lovers to fitness enthusiasts and vegans. You can always build or join one that aligns with what you want to achieve.  

Non-professional community of practice example: Digital Nomad World

Being a digital nomad can get lonely, so it’s essential to find your tribe. Nothing is better than sharing your experiences with fellow nomads as you move from one adventure to another. 

Digital Nomad World is the fastest growing community for remote workers, digital nomads, and travel enthusiasts. It has an open forum where community members can share their first-hand experiences with different destinations and ask for advice. It also curates helpful resources — from city guides to courses and blog posts — for members. 

3. Knowledge Stewarding Community

A knowledge stewarding community of practice curates and manages an extensive repository of knowledge that members can refer to when they have questions or improve their craft. The community might have a content library with helpful videos, white papers, and courses covering different aspects of the community’s interests. The content library also helps attract new members who want access to the knowledge it contains.

Knowledge stewarding community of practice example: Peak Freelance

Founded by Michael Keenan and Elise Dopson, Peak Freelance is a community for freelance writers looking to scale their business, increase their rates, and land top clients. 

Peak Freelance has a content library filled with blog posts, video recordings of expert interviews, podcast replays, plus courses and business templates for members. These resources help Peak Freelance members improve their writing craft and run their businesses more efficiently. 

It also has a private Slack community with niche channels for specialized freelance writers — like HR, SaaS, and lifestyle writers — where they can get answers to niche-specific questions and network with like-minded freelancers. 

4. Helping Community 

A helping community is a no-judgment space where community members can assist each other with day-to-day tasks aligned with their common interests. Members openly share any challenges they’re facing and receive advice and support from their peers to help them resolve these challenges. 

Helping community of practice example: Stack Overflow

With over 14 million registered users and 100 million monthly website visitors , Stack Overflow is one of the largest helping communities for professional and enthusiast software developers. 

Stack Overflow members post questions on the public channel, and other users share detailed responses to these questions, in line with the community’s code of conduct. Users can also share question links to non-members who might be able to provide valuable insights. 

All the questions and responses are added to a searchable knowledge base that users can always refer to in the future. 

5. Best Practice Community

Best practice communities share tips, trends, guidelines, and strategies to help community members improve their knowledge of the area of interest and become experts. They organize regular group discourses and themed events and publish written and video content to teach members about industry best practices. 

Best practice community example: Superpath

Jimmy Daley’s Superpath is home to over 8,000 content marketers and is one of the largest online marketing communities. Every week, Daley curates and shares helpful community-generated resources — including links to threads and blog posts — with Superpath members via email and Slack. 

Daley’s community has a free and a paid tier. With the paid tier (Superpath Pro), you gain additional access to courses, monthly 1:1 calls, and office hours with content experts. Non-paying Superpath members get full access to the Slack community, where they can participate in office hours, join insightful industry conversations, and connect with other brilliant professionals.

6. Learning Community of Practice 

A learning community of practice consists of people with similar learning goals, who want to expand their knowledge of a subject matter, and possibly educate others about it. Members of a learning community share knowledge and resources, encourage one another, and serve as accountability partners for their goals. 

Learning community of practice example: Pracademics

Pracademics is a learning community for human services practitioners. It provides live and self-paced courses like Communities of Practice Leaders to help professionals keep up with the latest research and apply up-to-date knowledge to their practices. 

Students can interact with tutors and collaborate with other students during live classes to ensure they understand the subject matter thoroughly. 

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Create Your Own Community of Practice

If you’re thinking, “I should definitely create a community of practice,” you’re right. Beyond launching new courses, creators can use communities of practice to build deeper connections with students, encourage collaborative learning and ultimately deliver more value.

Building a community of practice can be challenging, which is why we’ve created a step-by-step guide to help you get started. And when you’ve gone through it, you can create your first community of practice with Thinkific .

Colin is a Content Marketer at Thinkific, writing about everything from online entrepreneurship & course creation to digital marketing strategy.

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The aims and effectiveness of communities of practice in healthcare: A systematic review

Alexander p. noar.

1 Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom

2 Highgate Mental Health Centre, Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom

Hannah E. Jeffery

3 Department of General Surgery, East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, Stevenage, United Kingdom

Hariharan Subbiah Ponniah

Usman jaffer.

4 Department of Vascular Surgery, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom

Associated Data

All relevant data are within the paper.

Communities of practice (CoPs) are defined as "groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise by interacting on an ongoing basis". They are an effective form of knowledge management that have been successfully used in the business sector and increasingly so in healthcare. In May 2023 the electronic databases MEDLINE and EMBASE were systematically searched for primary research studies on CoPs published between 1st January 1950 and 31st December 2022. PRISMA guidelines were followed. The following search terms were used: community/communities of practice AND (healthcare OR medicine OR patient/s). The database search picked up 2009 studies for screening. Of these, 50 papers met the inclusion criteria. The most common aim of CoPs was to directly improve a clinical outcome, with 19 studies aiming to achieve this. In terms of outcomes, qualitative outcomes were the most common measure used in 21 studies. Only 11 of the studies with a quantitative element had the appropriate statistical methodology to report significance. Of the 9 studies that showed a statistically significant effect, 5 showed improvements in hospital-based provision of services such as discharge planning or rehabilitation services. 2 of the studies showed improvements in primary-care, such as management of hepatitis C, and 2 studies showed improvements in direct clinical outcomes, such as central line infections. CoPs in healthcare are aimed at improving clinical outcomes and have been shown to be effective. There is still progress to be made and a need for further studies with more rigorous methodologies, such as RCTs, to provide further support of the causality of CoPs on outcomes.

Introduction

Medical knowledge is estimated to double every 73 days [ 1 ], leaving both physicians and patients with a seemingly insurmountable amount of information to stay on top of. This essentially means those involved in healthcare have to become skilled at knowledge management, defined as ‘the collection of methods related to creating, sharing, using, and managing the knowledge and information of an organisation’ [ 2 ].

One knowledge management strategy that has received significant attention is the theory of communities of practice (CoPs). CoPs are defined as "groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise by interacting on an ongoing basis" [ 3 ]. CoPs have a domain of interest, a community of individuals who all share that interest, and a practice consisting of the shared knowledge and skills built up by the community.

Initially described in the business sector, they have been particularly effective as a mechanism for the sharing of tacit knowledge [ 4 ]. First described by Polanyi, the Hungarian-British philosopher in 1966 [ 5 ], tacit knowledge, in comparison to explicit knowledge, is very difficult to directly codify and share in guidelines. It is best communicated through direct observation and imitation as well as through conversations, stories, and metaphors. The medical profession is a clear example of one where tacit knowledge is constantly used, exemplified by the ‘mindlines’ (rather than guidelines) that practitioners tend to follow [ 6 ].

There has been an evolution of the concept, when initially described by Wenger and Lave, they were highly location specific, to a certain office or workspace, where individuals working together would interact, bouncing ideas off each other and helping newer members become fully integrated into the working environment. Over time, the description altered to include those who were not working together in the same physical place, but still shared the same domain of interest and were working on the same set of problems. This opened up the opportunity for virtual CoPs (vCoPs) to be included in the definition, where communities from all over the world interact digitally, producing the same tacit sharing effects as those working in the same physical space.

This review looks to elucidate the aims and effectiveness of CoPs in healthcare as well as communication methods used in these CoPs. We will also show what barriers and facilitators CoPs find when they are implemented in healthcare settings.

Material and methods

In May 2023 the electronic databases MEDLINE and EMBASE were systematically searched for primary research studies on CoPs published between 1st January 1950 and 31 st December 2022. PRISMA guidelines were followed.

The following search terms were used: community/communities of practice AND (healthcare OR medicine OR patient/s). The search was limited to research on human subjects and papers published in the English language. There was no restriction on geographical location.

This review was limited to original research with a focus on CoPs in the healthcare sector. Only papers published in peer- reviewed journals were included. Exclusion criteria were as follows:

• Studies reporting on CoPs in sectors other than healthcare.
• Studies reporting on medical education.
• Studies reporting on multiple interventions
• Case studies.
• Records with no abstracts.
• Study protocols
• Review articles
• News-style or opinion articles, theses and dissertations, and abstracts of conference proceedings without full peer-reviewed papers.

The search was completed using Ovid, and the reference list was uploaded to Covidence. Two authors (APN and HSP) independently reviewed all titles and abstracts, checking against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Relevant papers were marked for retrieval of full text and detailed review. When decisions differed, a final decision was made after discussion between the two reviewers. One author (APN) reviewed and extracted using a standardised template. Reference lists of included studies were also screened. When relevance of the paper was uncertain, or the findings were difficult to extract, APN discussed the paper with UJ. PRISMA flow diagram can be seen in Fig 1 .

The following data were extracted: study details (author name, year of publication, country, sample size, study design, study type, data collection method, data analysis method, outcomes measured, barriers/facilitators, and limitations) and description of the CoP (including population, why it was established, how it was established, method of communication, and content shared).

Bias was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. Microsoft Excel was used to build tables of the studies included in this review. This review was not registered and a protocol was not prepared. Template data collection forms and data extracted from included studies is available upon request.

The database search picked up 2009 studies for screening, of which 94 studies were eligible for full-text review. Of these 50 papers met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. The most frequent reason for exclusion at this stage was that the study included multiple interventions of which only one was a CoP. Total participants in CoPs across the studies were 12,400, with an average of 282 participants per study (6 studies did not report participant number).

Country and year of publication

The most common frequent country that the studies were published in was Canada with 12 studies [ 7 , 16 , 19 , 35 , 38 , 40 , 41 , 43 , 45 , 47 , 54 , 56 ], followed closely by the USA with 10 studies [ 9 , 10 , 14 , 17 , 23 – 25 , 48 , 51 , 55 ], and the UK with 8 studies [ 8 , 12 , 13 , 15 , 18 , 22 , 31 , 37 ]. Other notable contributions came from Australia with 6 studies [ 26 , 29 , 33 , 34 , 44 , 50 ] and Spain with 4 studies [ 20 , 27 , 39 , 42 ]. All other countries had 2 or less studies. As for year of publication, there was an overall trend of an increasing number of publications in more recent years. 2021 and 2015 had the largest number of studies with 7. 2019, 2018, 2016, and 2014 all have 4 studies. Only 2013, 2005, and 2007 had no studies published in those years.

The aims of the CoPs

There were a number of themes that emerged from the aims of the CoPs examined in this study ( Table 1 ). The most common by far was to directly improve a clinical outcome, with 19 studies aiming to achieve this. This included disease related factors such as reducing central line infections [ 9 ], improving glucose control in critically ill patients [ 40 ], and increasing viral suppression rates in HIV [ 51 ]. This theme also included many aspects of improving clinical services and workflows such as improving rehabilitation for patients with AF [ 49 ], improve pain practices for spinal cord injury patients [ 43 ], and improve the falls prevention care for care-home residents [ 34 ].

Developing skills was also a common reason for setting up a CoP with 8 studies in this theme. This included building research skills [ 29 , 32 ] and developing self-care techniques [ 48 ]. There were also 7 studies whose aim was to share best-practice. This included the direct sharing of evidence-based practice [ 12 , 50 ] as well as trying to decrease variation in practice over geographically spread out areas by providing clinicians in the same speciality a means of communication [ 11 , 41 , 44 ].

Sharing specialist knowledge was the aim of 6 studies. Of these, 4 were aimed at connecting primary care physicians with hospital-based specialists [ 14 , 27 , 39 , 45 ] for example providing rural primary care physicians the knowledge to manage patients with chronic hepatitis C infection [ 14 ]. Another 3 studies brought clinicians together with researchers with the aim to stimulate research ideas and activity [ 8 , 36 , 46 ].

Other notable CoPs were set up with the specific aim to complete a specific task, such as develop a set of standards for genetic counselling in Europe [ 15 ], or to co-design a smartphone application with patients for schizophrenia care [ 33 ].

Effectiveness of the CoPs

The effectiveness of the CoPs was measured in a variety of ways ( Table 1 ). 30 studies were qualitative research, 20 studies used a non-randomised experimental design, and 1 study was a randomised controlled trial [ 25 ]. In terms of outcomes, qualitative outcomes were the most common measure used in 21 studies, a mix of both qualitative and quantitative outcomes were used in 20 studies, and solely quantitative outcomes were used in 9 studies. Only 11 of the studies with a quantitative element had the appropriate statistical methodology to report significance. All except 1 study [ 40 ] reported a positive significant effect when implementing a CoP. Outcomes varied across geographical location with North American countries such as Canada (91.7%) and USA (80%) having a higher percentage of studies with a quantitative element to their outcomes, in comparison to the UK (12.5%) or Australia (50%).

Of the 9 studies that showed a statistically significant effect, 5 showed improvements in hospital-based provision of services [ 12 , 25 , 35 , 47 , 49 , 55 ]. These studies included implementing patient orientated discharge summaries leading to an 7% increase (p = 0.026) of family involvement during discharge [ 47 ], as well as another study improving rehabilitation services for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) which demonstrated an increase in patients’ knowledge about AF (p = 0.02) [ 49 ]. 2 of the studies showed improvements in primary-care. Arora et al. showed how bringing primary care providers together with hospital specialists improved primary care knowledge about the management of hepatitis C infection (p<0.0001). Diaz-Chao et al. showed how bringing primary care physicians together with specialists led to fewer hospital referrals (p<0.05). Finally, 2 studies showed improvements in direct clinical outcomes. One study showed a reduction in central line infections by 50% (p<0.05) (9) and another showed an increase in HIV viral suppression rates from 79.2% to 82.3% (p<0.05) [ 51 ].

Communication

Table 2 describes the methods of communication utilised by each of the communities of practice described in the 50 studies included in this review. Of the communities of practice 23 communicated virtually, 12 communicated face-to-face, and 13 used both face to face and virtual methods of communication. In two of the studies [ 26 , 41 ], it is unclear whether the communication was virtual, face-to-face or both. 23 of the communities of practice held meetings for the members, 10 utilised workshops, 8 described seminars, and 1 described tutorials [ 42 ]. 25 studies communicated using web-based systems and blogs and 10 communicated via email. 18 of the studies described other methods of communication, which included video consultation [ 49 ], telephone-based catch-ups [ 14 , 18 ] and case based presentations/discussions [ 14 , 19 , 23 , 51 ]. The average year for face-to-face only communication was 2014.25 (SD 4.94) and 2015.78 (SD 5.56) for virtual only communication, which was not significantly different (p = 0.43).

Barriers and facilitators

Barriers to engagement were reported in 15 of the studies; examples are given in Table 3 . The biggest barrier to engagement was time constraints, reported in nine of the studies. Lack of space to meet up [ 18 ], or to access the vCOP [ 42 ] was reported in two of the studies, and lack of funding [ 43 ] or resource constraints [ 12 ] as a barrier was reported in two studies. Difficulty accessing the COP platform via usual workstations [ 39 ] or operating systems [ 42 ] was listed as a barrier in two of the studies. A lack of understanding of the concept of the COP was reported as a barrier in one study [ 10 ]; two studies cited fear of judgement as barriers to engagement [ 11 , 53 ]. One study noted that those who were encouraged to join the COP by peers had lower engagement than those who self-selected [ 29 ], whilst another found that lack of participation by peripheral members caused frustration among core members [ 21 ].

Facilitators were reported in 24 of the studies; examples are given in Table 4 . The most commonly highlighted facilitators were involvement of key members of the team. Primarily these were clinical, with studies citing strong clinical leadership [ 26 , 39 ], support from health [ 16 ] or hospital [ 9 ] leadership, clinical champions [ 11 , 24 ], experts [ 34 , 38 ], and involving PCPs in the early stages of development [ 45 ]. Non-clinical roles were also highlighted, with two of the studies listed having a group facilitator important for engagement [ 21 , 42 ], and one highlighting the importance of funding for an administrative coordinator [ 36 ]. One study found that a mentoring scheme helped to distribute expertise [ 36 ], whilst another found the opportunity for new members to learn through passive participation to be a facilitator [ 8 ]. Regular face to face meetings were listed by three of the studies as facilitators [ 36 , 38 , 49 ], with one study noting that using face-to-face and virtual activities supported different learning styles [ 35 ]. Use of social networks and ICT technologies in professional practice were found to be facilitators in one of the studies [ 36 ]. Alignment with existing practices, in particular with quality improvement methodology, was noted to be a facilitator in two of the studies [ 24 , 29 ].

This systematic review has elucidated the aims and effectiveness of CoPs established in a healthcare setting. As described above, there were a variety of aims for the CoPs, with the majority relating to improving clinical outcomes and knowledge. Although encouraging to see the focus of these CoPs on clinically relevant issues, there were only 3 studies [ 9 , 40 , 51 ] where the outcome measurement was a patient related clinical outcome with the suitable statistical methodology to determine a significant effect.

Furthermore, only 1 study [ 25 ] had a randomised control trial (RCT) design and therefore the ability to establish causality. In this study, 122 veterans affairs (VA) hospitals were randomised to have enrolment into a new initiative facilitated either by a CoP or through usual means—the standard national announcements that all hospitals receive for new initiatives. The initiative was the national hospital to home (H2H) project, and uptake to the programme was the primary outcome measure. H2H aimed to help inpatients with heart disease transition back to their place of residence through measures such as early follow up and patient education to recognise early signs of deterioration. The CoP was an already existing entity that had been set up previously to connect VA hospitals to improve the quality of care for patients with heart disease. The primary means of communication of the CoP was via email and they also had bimonthly teleconferences. 54% of the hospitals randomised to CoP facilitated arm enrolled in the H2H initiative whereas only 10% of those not facilitated by the CoP enrolled (p < 0.001). This is clear evidence of the effectiveness of utilising CoPs, albeit indirectly, for changing clinical practice. However, the ultimate goal of the H2H was to reduce 30-day readmission rates by 20%, and this study did not measure and compare this, which would have provided a more clinically meaningful endpoint.

Although not formally described as CoPs, and therefore were not picked up in the systematic search of this review, there are other RCTs published in the literature that provide support for the effectiveness of CoPs directly on clinical outcomes. Described as peer-mentoring schemes or online communities, lifestyle interventions that bring patients together who share the same set of problems, such as poor glucose control or low activity levels, have been highly effective at motivating patients to alter their behaviour [ 57 , 58 ]. Richardson et al. conducted an RCT that provided the intervention arm with means of communication with their fellow patients during an online intervention to increase physical activity. Those able to communicate with their fellow participants, through posting and reading messages on a web-based blog, had a significantly reduced attrition rate than those who had no means of communication (79% v 56%, p = 0.02).

As the most common outcome of the CoPs was a change in practice, it is clear that as well as being a knowledge management strategy, CoPs are also behaviour change interventions. The capability, opportunity, and motivation model of behaviour change (COM-B) is a systematic way of framing the different facets required for an individual to change their behaviour [ 59 ]. Capability is defined as the psychological and physical requirements to perform the task. Opportunity represents the physical and social factors outside of the individual that make the behaviour possible, and motivation is defined as both the reflective and automatic brain activity that energises and directs behaviour. Through the community and shared problem solving that CoPs offer, it is clear that they provide individuals with the psychological capability, social opportunity, and motivation they need for behaviour change through the learning resources and peer support available.

The main barrier to engagement was time constraints, which are to be expected in an overwhelmed healthcare environment that is busier than ever [ 60 ]. Funding constraints were also noted, which once again is not a surprise as healthcare spending as a percentage of GDP is at its lowest in a decade [ 61 ]. It is, however, encouraging to see that there were no barriers relating to a lack of digital skills, despite many individuals known to struggle [ 62 ]. With the digital revolution taking place in healthcare, strong digital skills in the workforce will be necessary to control spiralling costs. Such skills will be necessary for vCoPs to be taken up in a meaningful way across the healthcare ecosystem.

The main facilitator for engagement was strong leadership, including support from institutional leaders, which represents an alteration from the original vision for CoPs as self-organising entities with a lack of centralised leadership. This shows the specific healthcare related factors that many interventions face in the highly regulated and controlled environment. Future CoP endeavours should bear this in mind and make sure support and buy in is gained from the relevant clinical and administrative leaders. This will also help alleviate the main barrier to engagement by providing support or even specific protected time for the CoP.

CoPs differ from other knowledge management strategies such as work groups or knowledge networks. In work groups goals are pre-determined by a manager and members are usually assigned or selected by a leader. CoPs on the other hand goals are negotiated by members and membership is self-selecting, by identifying with the domain of knowledge of the CoP. Knowledge networks are at the other end of the spectrum to work groups and are an informal set of relationships which are primarily concerned with passing on knowledge, rather than the full range of knowledge management. In comparison, CoPs have a shared mission and desire in its members to work together to deepen their knowledge. CoPs also focus on the creation, storage, and utilisation of knowledge.

This review had a number of limitations. Only studies that directly had mention of a community of practice in the title, abstract, or full text were included. This meant that the diverse array of names used to refer to the concept of CoPs, such as situated learning, learning network, or even just community, were not included potentially excluding valuable studies. However, these phrases are used too ubiquitously in the field of healthcare, and as such, so broad a search was not feasible and so the search was focussed solely on the term community/ies of practice. Studies regarding medical education were also excluded, as has similarly been done in previous reviews [ 63 ], as these participants wouldn’t necessarily be involved in providing healthcare directly. However, these studies may still have provided insights into the barriers and facilitators of engagement with healthcare themed CoPs. This review also did not employ a snowballing technique to examine the full list of references in each included study to broaden the search methodology. It was also not technically possible to carry out a logistic regression looking for the factors that were associated with effective CoPs as only 1 study reported a negative result.

CoPs in healthcare are aimed at improving clinical outcomes and have been shown to be effective. There is still progress to be made and a need for further studies with more rigorous methodologies, such as RCTs, to provide further support of the causality of CoPs on outcomes. As healthcare systems continue through their digital transformation journeys and healthcare workers have to manage an ever-mounting amount of knowledge, vCoPs in particular offer a method for improving outcomes and sharing vital information across an ever more complex healthcare landscape.

Supporting information

S1 checklist, funding statement.

The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.

Data Availability

• PLoS One. 2023; 18(10): e0292343.

Decision Letter 0

19 Jul 2023

PONE-D-23-17541The Aims and Effectiveness of Communities of Practice in Healthcare: A Systematic ReviewPLOS ONE

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Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: Dear Authors,

Below is my review of the Manuscript “The Aims and Effectiveness of Communities of Practice in Healthcare: A Systematic Review”.

Overall, the study presents a fairly comprehensive analysis of healthcare communities of practice. I have evaluated the manuscript based on its research design, methodology, results, and overall contribution to the field.

Materials and Methods

The search approach for primary research studies was quite broad from 1950 to 2022 and this approach was appropriate for the subject matter. However, it would be valuable to include detailed search strategies undertaken to include more geographies, and any differences observed in CoPs outcomes. It would also have been useful to present the framework for the review in more detail at this sage

The results section presented an in-depth and well laid out overview of the findings.

The discussion section expanded to provide a deeper analysis of the results and the authors clearly highlighted the limitations of their search strategy and the implications on “excluding valuable studies”. The reader may appreciate a brief comparison of CoPs with systematic of other knowledge sharing approaches relevant to the healthcare sector.

Minor Comments

1. Language and Grammar:

Abstract: Spelling error noted

In conclusion, this manuscript contributes to the understanding of communities of practice and its impact on knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Reviewer #2: Title: The Aims and Effectiveness of Communities of Practice in Healthcare: A Systematic Review

General comments:

This review is timely, and the authors should be congratulated for paying attention to the use of communities of practice, especially given their role during and now after covid to share information. The paper is well written.

Specific comments:

Title: The title “The Aims and Effectiveness of Communities of Practice in Healthcare: A Systematic Review” is appropriate for the paper

Abstract: The abstract is generally well written. There is a typo “hage” instead of “have”. Despite not being unstructured, the abstract does not clearly present the results. The last paragraph also seems to combine some statements that are part of background with a conclusion and implications or recommendations. For clarity, the authors could clearly articulate the findings, a conclusion, and some recommendations while still following the journals non-structured abstract policy.

Background: Well written and provides the context and justification for the review

Methods: Concise and easy to follow. Was there any limit to the geographic scope of the review. If so please clarify especially as results were presented by country where the research was conducted or the author’s home county.

Results: Well arranged and easy to follow. Table 1 cannot be read and could be added as supplemental material. All other tables are clear and well labeled.

Discussion and conclusion. Very well written and discuss the results comprehensively. Implications are well articulated.

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Reviewer #2: No

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Author response to Decision Letter 0

26 Aug 2023

Responses to editor:

PONE-D-23-17541

The Aims and Effectiveness of Communities of Practice in Healthcare: A Systematic Review

Dear Dr Edward Adekola Oladele,

Thank you very much for the reviewer’s comments and for inviting us to submit a revised manuscript. Please find our responses below. In the attached document, our responses to the questions are in blue, whilst changes to the text are given in green. This process has helped to significantly improve the manuscript. We look forward to hearing back from you.

Yours Sincerely,

Alexander Noar

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Thank you for bringing our attention to this. The manuscript has been amended in line with these guidelines.

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communities of practice for a number of healthcare related issues."

Please confirm that this does not alter your adherence to all PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials, by including the following statement: "This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.” (as detailed online in our guide for authors http://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/competing-interests ). If there are restrictions on sharing of data and/or materials, please state these. Please note that we cannot proceed with consideration of your article until this information has been declared.

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Response to Reviewer #1

Thank you for this comment. There was no restriction on geography for the search. A description of differences in observed CoP outcomes between countries has also been added to the manuscript

There was no restriction on geographical location

Outcomes varied across geographical location with North American countries such as Canada (91.7%) and USA (80%) having a higher percentage of studies with a quantitative element to their outcomes, in comparison to the UK (12.5%) or Australia (50%).

Thank you for this comment. The discussion has been updated to include a comparison of CoPs to other knowledge management groups.

Thank you for this comment. The spelling error in the abstract has now been corrected.

Response to Reviewer #2

Thank you for this comment. The abstract has been updated in line with your recommendations.

Thank you for this comment. There was no restriction on geography for the search. The manuscript has been updated to reflect this.

Results: Well arranged and easy to follow. Table 1 cannot be read and could be added as supplemental material. All other tables are clear and well labeled

Thank you for this comment. Table 1 has been converted into an easier to read format.

Submitted filename: Response to Reviewer.docx

Decision Letter 1

20 Sep 2023

PONE-D-23-17541R1

Dear Dr. Alexander Noar,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

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Community Of Practice Essay

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Perspective , Exercise , Training , Information , Learning , Community , Investment , Sociology

Words: 1200

Published: 02/26/2020

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Community of Practice

In ancient times, people formed relationships through informal networks based on their common background, location or interest. Community of practice is an amalgamation of two words, community and practice. The Macmillan dictionary defines community as “usually small, social unit of any size that shares common values” on the other had practice refers to “act of rehearsing a behavior over and over, or engaging in an activity again and again for the purpose of improving or mastering it.” Practice leads to perfection. Generally, community of practice is a special kind of informal and formal networks created by individuals with a common interest to share information. Apparently, this association is formed inside large organizations. In this perspective, professionals within an organizational structure amalgamate to create discussion forums where they could perfect their competence in a certain field (Kimble et al, 2008, pg. 46). People through formal discussion may create a community of practice through developing a common sense of purpose and the desire to share their work-related experience and stories. This work outlines the concept of community of practice. According to cognitive anthropologist Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, a community of practice is a group of people who share a profession or a technique p. 255. This group may evolve naturally through the common interest of members in a particular sphere or area. Within the group, members share information and experiences thus provide an opportunity for members to develop themselves personally and professionally. Community of practice exists in the real life, they may of different settings based on the environment that lead to their formulation. It may be in a factory floor, in a field setting, in a lunchroom at work, in church amid others. However, members of the group must be co-located. A more advanced setting is known as Virtual community (VC). To this end, members form and interact through online (Lave & Wenger, 2004, p. 105). Professionals have adopted this practice to learn and share with their profession. Initially, it was described as a practice of learning through practice and participation, which is known as situated learning. The practices were created over time through a process of legitimate peripheral participation. In this perspective, the community was characterized by legitimacy and participation while peripheral and participate are concern with location and identity in the social setting. Later, the idea of an inherent tension in a duality was adopted to replace legitimate peripheral participation (Wenger et al, 2002, p. 23). To this end, the community of practice structure was attributed to three interrelated terms: mutual agreement, shared repertoire, and joint enterprise. Community of practice is everywhere and we are generally involved in a number of them, be it in school, workplace, home and in our civic or leisure interests. There are different attributes of community of practice. The domain-it has an identity defined by a shared domain of interest. Membership implies commitment to the domain and therefore has a common competence that identifies and distinguishes members from other people. The community- members engage in a joint activity and discussion, share information and help each other where necessary. The practice- community of practice is not merely community of interest. Members develop a platform of sharing resources, experience, tools, and stories and as a way of addressing recurring issues. Another characteristic of community of practice includes membership, identity, fluid boundaries, voluntary action, collective strength and responsibility, and common culture (Drath & Palus, 2006, p. 101). Several factors influence the activities of Community of practice. Community of practice members is thought to be more efficient and effective conduits of information and familiarity. Studies indicate that workers spent one-third of their time seeking for information and are more likely to turn to co-workers rather than other explicit source of information. Social presence- it refers to the degree of salience of people in a group and the consequences of salience in an interpersonal relationship. This affects how members relate and participate in a community of practice. Ego and personal attacks, time constraint and large overwhelming community of practice can bring social presence. Motivation to share knowledge is important to the success of community of practice. Members are encouraged to share information and participate. Methods used to ensure participation includes: community interest, tangible and intangible returns (Lave & Wenger, 2004, p. 165). Collaboration is another critical factor to ensure that community of practice flourishes. It influences how knowledge is exchanged in a business network. In fact, the high educational level has a higher tendency to favor collaboration. The success of community of practice depends on the purpose and objective of the community, the resources and interests of the members of that community. There are several actions that when utilized can cultivate a successful community of practice. Members should create opportunities for open dialog either within or with an outside perspective. It is very essential to understand the different possibilities of meeting their learning objectives. All ideas and participation should be welcomed and allowed. Therefore, groups can take up leadership role or adopt passive participants in the community (O'Brien, et.al 2005, p. 79). In addition, the group should develop both private and public community space. This includes a public space where members participate in sharing, discussing and exploring ideas. The practice should also offer private exchange mandate is to coordinate relationships amid members and resources on individualized approach. It should focus on the value of the community. In this perspective, it should create opportunities to examine their productivity and value of their participation in the group (Karlsson, 2004, p. 56). Community of practice should offer expected learning opportunities as part of the structure and opportunity to shape their learning experiences jointly through brainstorming and examining the convectional and radical knowledge related to the topic. Conclusively, this concept was not born in the systems theory tradition. It can be described as a simple social system. It is a conceptual framework of thinking about learning in its social dimensions. It arises out of learning and exhibit several characteristics of systems namely; emergent structure, complex relationship, dynamic boundaries, self-organization as well as an ongoing negotiation of cultural meaning and identity.

Drath, W. H., & Palus, C. J. (2006). Making common sense: Leadership as meaning-making in a community of practice. Greensboro, N.C: Center for Creative Leadership. Karlsson, M. (2004). community of practice. Göteborg, Sweden: Acta Universitatis Gothoburgensis. Kimble, C., Hildreth, P. M., & Bourdon, I. (2008). Communities of practice: Creating learning environments for educators. Charlotte, N.C: Information Age Pub. Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (2004). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press. O'Brien, C. L., O'Brien, J., & Educational Resources Information Center (U.S.) (2005). The origins of person-centered planning: A community of practice perspective. Lithonia, GA: Responsive Systems Associates. Wenger, E., McDermott, R. A., & Snyder, W. (2002). Cultivating communities of practice: A guide to managing knowledge. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press.

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Peer-reviewed

Research Article

The aims and effectiveness of communities of practice in healthcare: A systematic review

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Software, Supervision, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

* E-mail: [email protected]

Current address: Highgate Mental Health Centre, London, United Kingdom

Affiliations Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom, Highgate Mental Health Centre, Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom

Roles Formal analysis, Investigation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Department of General Surgery, East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, Stevenage, United Kingdom

Roles Data curation, Investigation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom

Roles Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

Current address: St Mary’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom

Affiliations Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom, Department of Vascular Surgery, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom

• Alexander P. Noar, 
• Hannah E. Jeffery, 
• Hariharan Subbiah Ponniah, 
• Usman Jaffer

• Published: October 10, 2023
• https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292343
• Peer Review
• Reader Comments

Communities of practice (CoPs) are defined as "groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise by interacting on an ongoing basis". They are an effective form of knowledge management that have been successfully used in the business sector and increasingly so in healthcare. In May 2023 the electronic databases MEDLINE and EMBASE were systematically searched for primary research studies on CoPs published between 1st January 1950 and 31st December 2022. PRISMA guidelines were followed. The following search terms were used: community/communities of practice AND (healthcare OR medicine OR patient/s). The database search picked up 2009 studies for screening. Of these, 50 papers met the inclusion criteria. The most common aim of CoPs was to directly improve a clinical outcome, with 19 studies aiming to achieve this. In terms of outcomes, qualitative outcomes were the most common measure used in 21 studies. Only 11 of the studies with a quantitative element had the appropriate statistical methodology to report significance. Of the 9 studies that showed a statistically significant effect, 5 showed improvements in hospital-based provision of services such as discharge planning or rehabilitation services. 2 of the studies showed improvements in primary-care, such as management of hepatitis C, and 2 studies showed improvements in direct clinical outcomes, such as central line infections. CoPs in healthcare are aimed at improving clinical outcomes and have been shown to be effective. There is still progress to be made and a need for further studies with more rigorous methodologies, such as RCTs, to provide further support of the causality of CoPs on outcomes.

Citation: Noar AP, Jeffery HE, Subbiah Ponniah H, Jaffer U (2023) The aims and effectiveness of communities of practice in healthcare: A systematic review. PLoS ONE 18(10): e0292343. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292343

Editor: Tadashi Ito, Aichi Prefectural Mikawa Aoitori Medical and Rehabilitation Center for Developmental Disabilities, JAPAN

Received: June 7, 2023; Accepted: September 18, 2023; Published: October 10, 2023

Copyright: © 2023 Noar et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: All relevant data are within the paper.

Funding: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.

Competing interests: Usman Jaffer is co-founder and CEO of health-shared.com an online platform that hosts communities of practice. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Introduction

Medical knowledge is estimated to double every 73 days [ 1 ], leaving both physicians and patients with a seemingly insurmountable amount of information to stay on top of. This essentially means those involved in healthcare have to become skilled at knowledge management, defined as ‘the collection of methods related to creating, sharing, using, and managing the knowledge and information of an organisation’ [ 2 ].

One knowledge management strategy that has received significant attention is the theory of communities of practice (CoPs). CoPs are defined as "groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise by interacting on an ongoing basis" [ 3 ]. CoPs have a domain of interest, a community of individuals who all share that interest, and a practice consisting of the shared knowledge and skills built up by the community.

Initially described in the business sector, they have been particularly effective as a mechanism for the sharing of tacit knowledge [ 4 ]. First described by Polanyi, the Hungarian-British philosopher in 1966 [ 5 ], tacit knowledge, in comparison to explicit knowledge, is very difficult to directly codify and share in guidelines. It is best communicated through direct observation and imitation as well as through conversations, stories, and metaphors. The medical profession is a clear example of one where tacit knowledge is constantly used, exemplified by the ‘mindlines’ (rather than guidelines) that practitioners tend to follow [ 6 ].

There has been an evolution of the concept, when initially described by Wenger and Lave, they were highly location specific, to a certain office or workspace, where individuals working together would interact, bouncing ideas off each other and helping newer members become fully integrated into the working environment. Over time, the description altered to include those who were not working together in the same physical place, but still shared the same domain of interest and were working on the same set of problems. This opened up the opportunity for virtual CoPs (vCoPs) to be included in the definition, where communities from all over the world interact digitally, producing the same tacit sharing effects as those working in the same physical space.

This review looks to elucidate the aims and effectiveness of CoPs in healthcare as well as communication methods used in these CoPs. We will also show what barriers and facilitators CoPs find when they are implemented in healthcare settings.

Material and methods

In May 2023 the electronic databases MEDLINE and EMBASE were systematically searched for primary research studies on CoPs published between 1st January 1950 and 31 st December 2022. PRISMA guidelines were followed.

The following search terms were used: community/communities of practice AND (healthcare OR medicine OR patient/s). The search was limited to research on human subjects and papers published in the English language. There was no restriction on geographical location.

This review was limited to original research with a focus on CoPs in the healthcare sector. Only papers published in peer- reviewed journals were included. Exclusion criteria were as follows:

• Studies reporting on CoPs in sectors other than healthcare.
• Studies reporting on medical education.
• Studies reporting on multiple interventions
• Case studies.
• Records with no abstracts.
• Study protocols
• Review articles
• News-style or opinion articles, theses and dissertations, and abstracts of conference proceedings without full peer-reviewed papers.

The search was completed using Ovid, and the reference list was uploaded to Covidence. Two authors (APN and HSP) independently reviewed all titles and abstracts, checking against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Relevant papers were marked for retrieval of full text and detailed review. When decisions differed, a final decision was made after discussion between the two reviewers. One author (APN) reviewed and extracted using a standardised template. Reference lists of included studies were also screened. When relevance of the paper was uncertain, or the findings were difficult to extract, APN discussed the paper with UJ. PRISMA flow diagram can be seen in Fig 1 .

• PPT PowerPoint slide
• PNG larger image
• TIFF original image

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292343.g001

The following data were extracted: study details (author name, year of publication, country, sample size, study design, study type, data collection method, data analysis method, outcomes measured, barriers/facilitators, and limitations) and description of the CoP (including population, why it was established, how it was established, method of communication, and content shared).

Bias was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. Microsoft Excel was used to build tables of the studies included in this review. This review was not registered and a protocol was not prepared. Template data collection forms and data extracted from included studies is available upon request.

The database search picked up 2009 studies for screening, of which 94 studies were eligible for full-text review. Of these 50 papers met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. The most frequent reason for exclusion at this stage was that the study included multiple interventions of which only one was a CoP. Total participants in CoPs across the studies were 12,400, with an average of 282 participants per study (6 studies did not report participant number).

Country and year of publication

The most common frequent country that the studies were published in was Canada with 12 studies [ 7 , 16 , 19 , 35 , 38 , 40 , 41 , 43 , 45 , 47 , 54 , 56 ], followed closely by the USA with 10 studies [ 9 , 10 , 14 , 17 , 23 – 25 , 48 , 51 , 55 ], and the UK with 8 studies [ 8 , 12 , 13 , 15 , 18 , 22 , 31 , 37 ]. Other notable contributions came from Australia with 6 studies [ 26 , 29 , 33 , 34 , 44 , 50 ] and Spain with 4 studies [ 20 , 27 , 39 , 42 ]. All other countries had 2 or less studies. As for year of publication, there was an overall trend of an increasing number of publications in more recent years. 2021 and 2015 had the largest number of studies with 7. 2019, 2018, 2016, and 2014 all have 4 studies. Only 2013, 2005, and 2007 had no studies published in those years.

The aims of the CoPs

There were a number of themes that emerged from the aims of the CoPs examined in this study ( Table 1 ). The most common by far was to directly improve a clinical outcome, with 19 studies aiming to achieve this. This included disease related factors such as reducing central line infections [ 9 ], improving glucose control in critically ill patients [ 40 ], and increasing viral suppression rates in HIV [ 51 ]. This theme also included many aspects of improving clinical services and workflows such as improving rehabilitation for patients with AF [ 49 ], improve pain practices for spinal cord injury patients [ 43 ], and improve the falls prevention care for care-home residents [ 34 ].

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292343.t001

Developing skills was also a common reason for setting up a CoP with 8 studies in this theme. This included building research skills [ 29 , 32 ] and developing self-care techniques [ 48 ]. There were also 7 studies whose aim was to share best-practice. This included the direct sharing of evidence-based practice [ 12 , 50 ] as well as trying to decrease variation in practice over geographically spread out areas by providing clinicians in the same speciality a means of communication [ 11 , 41 , 44 ].

Sharing specialist knowledge was the aim of 6 studies. Of these, 4 were aimed at connecting primary care physicians with hospital-based specialists [ 14 , 27 , 39 , 45 ] for example providing rural primary care physicians the knowledge to manage patients with chronic hepatitis C infection [ 14 ]. Another 3 studies brought clinicians together with researchers with the aim to stimulate research ideas and activity [ 8 , 36 , 46 ].

Other notable CoPs were set up with the specific aim to complete a specific task, such as develop a set of standards for genetic counselling in Europe [ 15 ], or to co-design a smartphone application with patients for schizophrenia care [ 33 ].

Effectiveness of the CoPs

The effectiveness of the CoPs was measured in a variety of ways ( Table 1 ). 30 studies were qualitative research, 20 studies used a non-randomised experimental design, and 1 study was a randomised controlled trial [ 25 ]. In terms of outcomes, qualitative outcomes were the most common measure used in 21 studies, a mix of both qualitative and quantitative outcomes were used in 20 studies, and solely quantitative outcomes were used in 9 studies. Only 11 of the studies with a quantitative element had the appropriate statistical methodology to report significance. All except 1 study [ 40 ] reported a positive significant effect when implementing a CoP. Outcomes varied across geographical location with North American countries such as Canada (91.7%) and USA (80%) having a higher percentage of studies with a quantitative element to their outcomes, in comparison to the UK (12.5%) or Australia (50%).

Of the 9 studies that showed a statistically significant effect, 5 showed improvements in hospital-based provision of services [ 12 , 25 , 35 , 47 , 49 , 55 ]. These studies included implementing patient orientated discharge summaries leading to an 7% increase (p = 0.026) of family involvement during discharge [ 47 ], as well as another study improving rehabilitation services for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) which demonstrated an increase in patients’ knowledge about AF (p = 0.02) [ 49 ]. 2 of the studies showed improvements in primary-care. Arora et al. showed how bringing primary care providers together with hospital specialists improved primary care knowledge about the management of hepatitis C infection (p<0.0001). Diaz-Chao et al. showed how bringing primary care physicians together with specialists led to fewer hospital referrals (p<0.05). Finally, 2 studies showed improvements in direct clinical outcomes. One study showed a reduction in central line infections by 50% (p<0.05) (9) and another showed an increase in HIV viral suppression rates from 79.2% to 82.3% (p<0.05) [ 51 ].

Communication

Table 2 describes the methods of communication utilised by each of the communities of practice described in the 50 studies included in this review. Of the communities of practice 23 communicated virtually, 12 communicated face-to-face, and 13 used both face to face and virtual methods of communication. In two of the studies [ 26 , 41 ], it is unclear whether the communication was virtual, face-to-face or both. 23 of the communities of practice held meetings for the members, 10 utilised workshops, 8 described seminars, and 1 described tutorials [ 42 ]. 25 studies communicated using web-based systems and blogs and 10 communicated via email. 18 of the studies described other methods of communication, which included video consultation [ 49 ], telephone-based catch-ups [ 14 , 18 ] and case based presentations/discussions [ 14 , 19 , 23 , 51 ]. The average year for face-to-face only communication was 2014.25 (SD 4.94) and 2015.78 (SD 5.56) for virtual only communication, which was not significantly different (p = 0.43).

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292343.t002

Barriers and facilitators

Barriers to engagement were reported in 15 of the studies; examples are given in Table 3 . The biggest barrier to engagement was time constraints, reported in nine of the studies. Lack of space to meet up [ 18 ], or to access the vCOP [ 42 ] was reported in two of the studies, and lack of funding [ 43 ] or resource constraints [ 12 ] as a barrier was reported in two studies. Difficulty accessing the COP platform via usual workstations [ 39 ] or operating systems [ 42 ] was listed as a barrier in two of the studies. A lack of understanding of the concept of the COP was reported as a barrier in one study [ 10 ]; two studies cited fear of judgement as barriers to engagement [ 11 , 53 ]. One study noted that those who were encouraged to join the COP by peers had lower engagement than those who self-selected [ 29 ], whilst another found that lack of participation by peripheral members caused frustration among core members [ 21 ].

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292343.t003

Facilitators were reported in 24 of the studies; examples are given in Table 4 . The most commonly highlighted facilitators were involvement of key members of the team. Primarily these were clinical, with studies citing strong clinical leadership [ 26 , 39 ], support from health [ 16 ] or hospital [ 9 ] leadership, clinical champions [ 11 , 24 ], experts [ 34 , 38 ], and involving PCPs in the early stages of development [ 45 ]. Non-clinical roles were also highlighted, with two of the studies listed having a group facilitator important for engagement [ 21 , 42 ], and one highlighting the importance of funding for an administrative coordinator [ 36 ]. One study found that a mentoring scheme helped to distribute expertise [ 36 ], whilst another found the opportunity for new members to learn through passive participation to be a facilitator [ 8 ]. Regular face to face meetings were listed by three of the studies as facilitators [ 36 , 38 , 49 ], with one study noting that using face-to-face and virtual activities supported different learning styles [ 35 ]. Use of social networks and ICT technologies in professional practice were found to be facilitators in one of the studies [ 36 ]. Alignment with existing practices, in particular with quality improvement methodology, was noted to be a facilitator in two of the studies [ 24 , 29 ].

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292343.t004

This systematic review has elucidated the aims and effectiveness of CoPs established in a healthcare setting. As described above, there were a variety of aims for the CoPs, with the majority relating to improving clinical outcomes and knowledge. Although encouraging to see the focus of these CoPs on clinically relevant issues, there were only 3 studies [ 9 , 40 , 51 ] where the outcome measurement was a patient related clinical outcome with the suitable statistical methodology to determine a significant effect.

Furthermore, only 1 study [ 25 ] had a randomised control trial (RCT) design and therefore the ability to establish causality. In this study, 122 veterans affairs (VA) hospitals were randomised to have enrolment into a new initiative facilitated either by a CoP or through usual means—the standard national announcements that all hospitals receive for new initiatives. The initiative was the national hospital to home (H2H) project, and uptake to the programme was the primary outcome measure. H2H aimed to help inpatients with heart disease transition back to their place of residence through measures such as early follow up and patient education to recognise early signs of deterioration. The CoP was an already existing entity that had been set up previously to connect VA hospitals to improve the quality of care for patients with heart disease. The primary means of communication of the CoP was via email and they also had bimonthly teleconferences. 54% of the hospitals randomised to CoP facilitated arm enrolled in the H2H initiative whereas only 10% of those not facilitated by the CoP enrolled (p < 0.001). This is clear evidence of the effectiveness of utilising CoPs, albeit indirectly, for changing clinical practice. However, the ultimate goal of the H2H was to reduce 30-day readmission rates by 20%, and this study did not measure and compare this, which would have provided a more clinically meaningful endpoint.

Although not formally described as CoPs, and therefore were not picked up in the systematic search of this review, there are other RCTs published in the literature that provide support for the effectiveness of CoPs directly on clinical outcomes. Described as peer-mentoring schemes or online communities, lifestyle interventions that bring patients together who share the same set of problems, such as poor glucose control or low activity levels, have been highly effective at motivating patients to alter their behaviour [ 57 , 58 ]. Richardson et al. conducted an RCT that provided the intervention arm with means of communication with their fellow patients during an online intervention to increase physical activity. Those able to communicate with their fellow participants, through posting and reading messages on a web-based blog, had a significantly reduced attrition rate than those who had no means of communication (79% v 56%, p = 0.02).

As the most common outcome of the CoPs was a change in practice, it is clear that as well as being a knowledge management strategy, CoPs are also behaviour change interventions. The capability, opportunity, and motivation model of behaviour change (COM-B) is a systematic way of framing the different facets required for an individual to change their behaviour [ 59 ]. Capability is defined as the psychological and physical requirements to perform the task. Opportunity represents the physical and social factors outside of the individual that make the behaviour possible, and motivation is defined as both the reflective and automatic brain activity that energises and directs behaviour. Through the community and shared problem solving that CoPs offer, it is clear that they provide individuals with the psychological capability, social opportunity, and motivation they need for behaviour change through the learning resources and peer support available.

The main barrier to engagement was time constraints, which are to be expected in an overwhelmed healthcare environment that is busier than ever [ 60 ]. Funding constraints were also noted, which once again is not a surprise as healthcare spending as a percentage of GDP is at its lowest in a decade [ 61 ]. It is, however, encouraging to see that there were no barriers relating to a lack of digital skills, despite many individuals known to struggle [ 62 ]. With the digital revolution taking place in healthcare, strong digital skills in the workforce will be necessary to control spiralling costs. Such skills will be necessary for vCoPs to be taken up in a meaningful way across the healthcare ecosystem.

The main facilitator for engagement was strong leadership, including support from institutional leaders, which represents an alteration from the original vision for CoPs as self-organising entities with a lack of centralised leadership. This shows the specific healthcare related factors that many interventions face in the highly regulated and controlled environment. Future CoP endeavours should bear this in mind and make sure support and buy in is gained from the relevant clinical and administrative leaders. This will also help alleviate the main barrier to engagement by providing support or even specific protected time for the CoP.

CoPs differ from other knowledge management strategies such as work groups or knowledge networks. In work groups goals are pre-determined by a manager and members are usually assigned or selected by a leader. CoPs on the other hand goals are negotiated by members and membership is self-selecting, by identifying with the domain of knowledge of the CoP. Knowledge networks are at the other end of the spectrum to work groups and are an informal set of relationships which are primarily concerned with passing on knowledge, rather than the full range of knowledge management. In comparison, CoPs have a shared mission and desire in its members to work together to deepen their knowledge. CoPs also focus on the creation, storage, and utilisation of knowledge.

This review had a number of limitations. Only studies that directly had mention of a community of practice in the title, abstract, or full text were included. This meant that the diverse array of names used to refer to the concept of CoPs, such as situated learning, learning network, or even just community, were not included potentially excluding valuable studies. However, these phrases are used too ubiquitously in the field of healthcare, and as such, so broad a search was not feasible and so the search was focussed solely on the term community/ies of practice. Studies regarding medical education were also excluded, as has similarly been done in previous reviews [ 63 ], as these participants wouldn’t necessarily be involved in providing healthcare directly. However, these studies may still have provided insights into the barriers and facilitators of engagement with healthcare themed CoPs. This review also did not employ a snowballing technique to examine the full list of references in each included study to broaden the search methodology. It was also not technically possible to carry out a logistic regression looking for the factors that were associated with effective CoPs as only 1 study reported a negative result.

CoPs in healthcare are aimed at improving clinical outcomes and have been shown to be effective. There is still progress to be made and a need for further studies with more rigorous methodologies, such as RCTs, to provide further support of the causality of CoPs on outcomes. As healthcare systems continue through their digital transformation journeys and healthcare workers have to manage an ever-mounting amount of knowledge, vCoPs in particular offer a method for improving outcomes and sharing vital information across an ever more complex healthcare landscape.

Supporting information

S1 checklist. prisma 2020 checklist..

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292343.s001

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“Community” It’s everywhere! In thousands of geographical locations throughout the land people gather in small, medium, and large groups (or dispersed associations) for some common purpose. (Lenning and Ebbers 1999 , p. 17)

The benefits of creating learning communities have been clearly established in educational literature. However, the research on ‘community-of-learning’ has largely focused on intermediate and high-school contexts and on the benefits of co-facilitation in the classroom. In this paper, we contribute to educational research by describing an approach for a large (1000 + students/year), lecture-theatre based, university management course. This approach largely excludes co-facilitation, but offers a unified and integrated approach by staff to all other aspects of running the course. By applying an ethnographic methodology, our contribution to the ‘community-of-learning’ literature is a set of strategies that enable a sense of belonging and collective ownership amongst all participants in the course. We describe the experienced benefits, as well as challenges, of such teaching, as we outline the methods we use to enhance students’ perception of belonging to a community-of-learning. We conclude by making recommendations as to the requirements of adopting a community-of-learning teaching approach to tertiary education.

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de Vries, H.P., Malinen, S. A Reflective Essay on Creating a Community-of-Learning in a Large Lecture-Theatre Based University Course. NZ J Educ Stud 55 , 363–377 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40841-020-00165-1

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s40841-020-00165-1

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SAT Myths vs Facts

The SAT is valued globally by K–12 and higher education. Nearly 2 million students in the class of 202 3 took the SAT, more than any other standardized assessment.   

Myth #1: The SAT is a barrier for students in the college admissions process.    

Fact: SAT scores help many students show their strengths to colleges and scholarship providers.    

The SAT measures the math, reading, and writing skills students are learning in high school—the same skills and knowledge needed for success in college and career.       

In 2023, 1.3 million U.S. high school graduates had SAT scores that validated or exceeded their high school GPAs—meaning their scores were a point of strength in their college applications ( College Board, 2023 ) . Among these students, 440,000 were African American and Latino, 350,000 were first-generation college students, and 250,000 were from rural communities.        

Students can opt in to Student Search Service TM when they take the SAT on the weekend. Students who participate in Search receive 29% more college admissions offers than those who don’t, and when colleges reach out through Search college outcomes are improved—especially for underrepresented student groups ( College Board, 2022 ; Howell et al., 2021 ).  

Myth #2: The SAT is biased against socioeconomically disadvantaged students.    

Fact: SAT performance differences are not a product of test bias but reflect genuine inequalities in K–12 education.    

In all academic measures, including grades, students from wealthier backgrounds have advantages long before taking college admission exams ( Reardon & Portilla, 2016 ).  

Research shows differences in family wealth only slightly affect SAT scores (  Chetty et al., 2020 ).  

While the SAT is a standardized, objective measure of achievement, other parts of a college admission application—like essays, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and availability of advanced coursework—are more skewed by income. (e.g., Alvero et al., 2021 ; Camara & Schmidt, 1999 ; Kim et al., 2024 ; Marini et al., 2018 ; O’Boyle & McDaniel, 2009 ; Park et al., 2023 ; Zwick, 2002 ).      

SAT questions are carefully developed and rigorously reviewed for evidence of bias and any question that could favor one group over another is discarded.        

Colleges consider SAT scores within the context of where students live and go to school, and an SAT score should never be a veto on a student’s plans or ambitions.       

Myth #3: Expensive test prep is the only way for students to raise their scores.    

Fact: Effective preparation for the SAT doesn’t need to be expensive.    

Students taking the digital SAT have access to 6 full-length practice tests in Bluebook—the same application students use on test day.       

One of the most widely used SAT practice resources is free, and come s from a yearslong partnership between College Board and Khan Academy®—now called Official Digital SAT Prep on Khan Academy.       

Research shows that students can achieve similar gains to expensive test prep just by retaking the SAT. (Becker, 1990 ; Briggs, 2005 ; DerSimonian & Laird, 1983 ; Powers & Rock, 1999 .)

References  

Alvero, A. J., Giebel, S., Gebre-Medhin, B., Antonio, A. L., Stevens, M. L., & Domingue, B. W. (2021). Essay content and style are strongly related to household income and SAT scores: Evidence from 60,000 undergraduate applications.  Science Advances,   7 (42). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abi9031 .  

Becker, B. J. (1990). Coaching for the Scholastic Aptitude Test: Further synthesis and appraisal. Review of Educational Research, 60 , 373–417.  

Briggs, D. C. (2005). Meta-Analysis: A Case Study.  Evaluation Review ,  29 (2), 87–127.     

Camara, W. J., & Schmidt, A. E. (1999). Group Differences in Standardized Testing and Social Stratification ( College Board Research Report No. 99-5 ). New York: The College Board.  

Chetty, R., Friedman, J. N., Saez, E., Turner, N., & Yagan, D. (2020). Income segregation and intergenerational mobility across colleges in the United States. The Quarterly Journal of Economics , 135 (3), 1567–1633.  

College Board. (2022). New Research Links Student Search Service Participation to More College Admission Offers (All Access). Retrieved from https://allaccess.collegeboard.org/new-research-links-student-search-service-participation-more-college-admission-offers .  

College Board. (2023). SAT® Scores and High School Grades: The Benefits of Multiple Academic Measures (College Board Research Note) . New York: College Board.  

DerSimonian , R., & Laird, N. M. (1983). Evaluating the effect of coaching on SAT scores: A meta-analysis.  Harvard Educational Review, 53 (1), 1–15.  

Howell, J., Hurwitz, M., Mabel, Z., & Smith, J. (2021). Participation in Student Search Service® Is Associated with Higher College Enrollment and Completion ( College Board Research Report ). New York: College Board.  

Kim, B. H., Park, J. J., Lo, P., Baker, D. J., Wong, N., Breen, S., Truong, H., Zheng, J., Ochs Rosinger, K., & Poon, OY. (2024). Inequity and College Applications: Assessing Differences and Disparities in Letters of Recommendation from School Counselors with Natural Language Processing . ( EdWorkingPaper 24-953). Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University: https://doi.org/10.26300/pmv2-r349 .  

Marini, J. P., Shaw, E. J., Young, L., & Ewing, M. (2018). Getting to Know Your Criterion: Examining College Course Grades and GPAs over Time ( College Board Research Report ). New York: The College Board.  

O'Boyle, E. H., Jr., & McDaniel, M. A. (2009). Criticisms of employment testing: A commentary. In R. P. Phelps (Ed.),  Correcting fallacies about educational and psychological testing  (pp. 181–197). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.  

Park, J. J., Kim, B. H., Wong, N., Zheng, J., Breen, S., Lo, P., Baker, D. J., Ochs Rosinger, K., Nguyen, M. H., & Poon, OY. (2023). Inequality Beyond Standardized Tests: Trends in Extracurricular Activity Reporting in College Applications Across Race and Class ( EdWorkingPaper 23-749). Providence, RI: Annenberg Institute at Brown University: https://edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai23-749.pdf  

Powers, D. E., & Rock, D. A. (1999). Effects of coaching on SAT I: Reasoning Test scores.  Journal of Educational Measurement, 36 (2), 93–118.  

Reardon, S.F., & Portilla, X.A. (2016). “Recent Trends in Income, Racial, and Ethnic School Readiness Gaps at Kindergarten Entry.”  AERA Open  2(3):1-18.  

Zwick, R. (2002). Fair game? The use of standardized admissions tests in higher education . New York: Routledge.  

Essay Papers Writing Online

The impact of community service – a deep dive into the power of giving back to society.

Community service essays serve as a powerful tool for individuals to reflect on their experiences, values, and impact on the world around them. Through the process of writing about their volunteer work, students are able to articulate the positive changes they have made in their communities and explore the lessons they have learned along the way.

Community service essays also play a crucial role in highlighting the importance of giving back to society and fostering a sense of empathy and compassion in individuals. By sharing personal stories of service, students can inspire others to get involved and make a difference in their own communities.

Moreover, community service essays can help students gain valuable skills such as critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving, as they reflect on the challenges and successes of their volunteer experiences. By documenting their service work, students can also showcase their commitment to social responsibility and community engagement to colleges, scholarship committees, and potential employers.

Why Community Service Essays Matter

In today’s society, the importance of community service essays cannot be overstated. These essays serve as a platform for individuals to showcase their dedication to helping others and making a positive impact on their communities. Through these essays, individuals can share their experiences, insights, and perspectives on the value of giving back to society.

Community service essays also play a crucial role in raising awareness about different social issues and encouraging others to get involved in volunteer work. By sharing personal stories and reflections, individuals can inspire and motivate others to take action and contribute to the betterment of society.

Furthermore, community service essays provide an opportunity for individuals to reflect on their own values, beliefs, and goals. Through the process of writing these essays, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their place in the world, leading to personal growth and development.

In conclusion, community service essays matter because they have the power to inspire change, raise awareness, and promote personal growth. By sharing their stories and insights, individuals can make a difference in their communities and create a more compassionate and giving society.

The Impact of Community Service Essays

Community service essays have a profound impact on both the individuals writing them and the communities they serve. These essays serve as a platform for students to reflect on their experiences and articulate the lessons they have learned through their service work.

One of the primary impacts of community service essays is the opportunity for self-reflection. Students are encouraged to critically analyze their experiences, challenges, and accomplishments during their community service activities. This reflection helps students develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their values, and their role in the community.

Another significant impact of community service essays is the awareness they raise about social issues and community needs. By sharing their stories and insights, students can shed light on important issues and inspire others to get involved in community service. These essays can also help community organizations and stakeholders better understand the needs of their communities and how they can address them effectively.

Overall, community service essays play a vital role in promoting social responsibility, empathy, and civic engagement. They empower students to make a positive impact in their communities and contribute to creating a more compassionate and inclusive society.

Guidelines for Writing Community Service Essays

When writing a community service essay, it is important to follow certain guidelines to ensure that your message is clear and impactful. Here are some tips to help you craft a powerful and compelling essay:

• Start by brainstorming ideas and reflecting on your community service experiences.
• Clearly define the purpose of your essay and what you hope to convey to your readers.
• Organize your essay with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
• Use specific examples and anecdotes to support your points and showcase your personal growth.
• Highlight the impact of your community service activities on both yourself and others.
• Showcase your passion and dedication to serving your community.
• Be authentic and honest in your writing, and avoid exaggerating or embellishing your experiences.
• Edit and proofread your essay carefully to ensure clarity, coherence, and proper grammar.

Examples of Effective Community Service Essays

Community service essays can have a powerful impact on the reader when they are well-written and thoughtful. Here are a few examples to inspire you:

1. A Well-Structured Essay:

This essay begins with a compelling introduction that clearly articulates the author’s motivation for engaging in community service. The body paragraphs provide specific examples of the author’s experiences and the impact they had on both the community and themselves. The conclusion ties everything together, reflecting on the lessons learned and the importance of giving back.

2. Personal Reflection:

This essay delves deep into the author’s personal experiences during their community service work. It explores the challenges they faced, the emotions they encountered, and the growth they underwent. By sharing vulnerable moments and candid reflections, the author creates a connection with the reader and demonstrates the transformational power of service.

3. Future Goals and Impact:

This essay not only discusses past community service experiences but also looks toward the future. The author shares their aspirations for continued service and outlines how they plan to make a difference in the world. By showcasing a sense of purpose and vision, this essay inspires the reader to consider their own potential for impact.

These examples illustrate how community service essays can be effective tools for conveying meaningful stories, inspiring others, and showcasing personal growth. By crafting a compelling narrative and reflecting on the significance of service, you can create an essay that leaves a lasting impression.

How Community Service Essays Empower Individuals

Community service essays provide individuals with a platform to express their thoughts, share their experiences, and make a meaningful impact on society. By writing about their volunteer work and the lessons they have learned, individuals can empower themselves to create positive change and inspire others to do the same.

• Through community service essays, individuals can reflect on the importance of giving back to their communities and the value of helping those in need.
• These essays can serve as a source of motivation and inspiration for individuals to continue their philanthropic efforts and make a difference in the world.
• By sharing their stories through community service essays, individuals can raise awareness about social issues and promote greater empathy and understanding among their peers.

Overall, community service essays empower individuals to take action, advocate for change, and contribute to building a more compassionate and equitable society.

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How to master the art of writing expository essays and captivate your audience, step-by-step guide to crafting a powerful literary analysis essay, convenient and reliable source to purchase college essays online, unlock success with a comprehensive business research paper example guide, unlock your writing potential with writers college – transform your passion into profession, “unlocking the secrets of academic success – navigating the world of research papers in college”, master the art of sociological expression – elevate your writing skills in sociology.

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12th Arts Question Paper 2024 – HSC Maharashtra Board (Download Free pdf)

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https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/08/20/gcse-results-day-2024-number-grading-system/

GCSE results day 2024: Everything you need to know including the number grading system

Thousands of students across the country will soon be finding out their GCSE results and thinking about the next steps in their education.   

Here we explain everything you need to know about the big day, from when results day is, to the current 9-1 grading scale, to what your options are if your results aren’t what you’re expecting.  

When is GCSE results day 2024?  

GCSE results day will be taking place on Thursday the 22 August.     

The results will be made available to schools on Wednesday and available to pick up from your school by 8am on Thursday morning.  

Schools will issue their own instructions on how and when to collect your results.   

When did we change to a number grading scale?  

The shift to the numerical grading system was introduced in England in 2017 firstly in English language, English literature, and maths.  

By 2020 all subjects were shifted to number grades. This means anyone with GCSE results from 2017-2020 will have a combination of both letters and numbers.  

The numerical grading system was to signal more challenging GCSEs and to better differentiate between students’ abilities - particularly at higher grades between the A *-C grades. There only used to be 4 grades between A* and C, now with the numerical grading scale there are 6.  

What do the number grades mean?  

The grades are ranked from 1, the lowest, to 9, the highest.  

The grades don’t exactly translate, but the two grading scales meet at three points as illustrated below.  

The bottom of grade 7 is aligned with the bottom of grade A, while the bottom of grade 4 is aligned to the bottom of grade C.    

Meanwhile, the bottom of grade 1 is aligned to the bottom of grade G.  

What to do if your results weren’t what you were expecting?  

If your results weren’t what you were expecting, firstly don’t panic. You have options.  

First things first, speak to your school or college – they could be flexible on entry requirements if you’ve just missed your grades.   

They’ll also be able to give you the best tailored advice on whether re-sitting while studying for your next qualifications is a possibility.   

If you’re really unhappy with your results you can enter to resit all GCSE subjects in summer 2025. You can also take autumn exams in GCSE English language and maths.  

Speak to your sixth form or college to decide when it’s the best time for you to resit a GCSE exam.  

Look for other courses with different grade requirements     

Entry requirements vary depending on the college and course. Ask your school for advice, and call your college or another one in your area to see if there’s a space on a course you’re interested in.    

Consider an apprenticeship    

Apprenticeships combine a practical training job with study too. They’re open to you if you’re 16 or over, living in England, and not in full time education.  

As an apprentice you’ll be a paid employee, have the opportunity to work alongside experienced staff, gain job-specific skills, and get time set aside for training and study related to your role.   

You can find out more about how to apply here .  

Talk to a National Careers Service (NCS) adviser    

The National Career Service is a free resource that can help you with your career planning. Give them a call to discuss potential routes into higher education, further education, or the workplace.   

Whatever your results, if you want to find out more about all your education and training options, as well as get practical advice about your exam results, visit the  National Careers Service page  and Skills for Careers to explore your study and work choices.   

You may also be interested in:

• Results day 2024: What's next after picking up your A level, T level and VTQ results?
• When is results day 2024? GCSEs, A levels, T Levels and VTQs

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